Rachel Darby

e: Rachel.Darby@charterchambers.com

Year of Call: 1997 LLB (Hons)

Rachel Darby is a specialist criminal practitioner with extensive experience acting as both leading junior and junior. Her practice is primarily defence and encompasses the full range of serious criminal offences. Her particular areas of expertise include:

Murder and non-fatal violence
Rape and other sexual offences
Fraud and confiscation proceedings
Drug importations and supplies
Civil Actions against the Police
Mental Health
Prison Law

 Alongside her busy practice she is currently studying for a Master's Degree in Employment Law.

DRUGS
R v David Sowerbutts & Others (Leading counsel. Owner and manager of a haulage company charged on two conspiracies to import three and half tonnes of cannabis)

R v Stephen Rowlands & Others (Former Detective Sergeant charged with supplying cocaine to undercover officer)

R v Trevor Young & Others (Junior counsel. Large scale drug conspiracy)

R v Steven Bowers & Others (Junior counsel. Large scale drug conspiracy)

FRAUD & MONEY LAUNDERING
R v Winifred Ward & Others (Leading counsel. Conspiracies to steal and money laundering concerning nationwide theft of caravans, spanning a three 3 ½ year period and involving 19 police forces to investigate)

R v Tommy Connors & Others: (Leading Counsel .Conspiracies to cheat the inland revenue, blackmail, trade description and money laundering offences on 74 count indictment)

R v Maya, Sykes & Others (Junior counsel. Serious Fraud Office prosecution concerning conspiracy to steal nearly £3m from CW Cheney & Sons Ltd Pension Fund, whereby the defendants acquired Cheneys using a convoluted scheme of appointment of nominee directors and trustees for the specific purpose of depleting the pension fund.  The case has been reported as being believed to have been the largest pension fraud since the Maxwell case)

R v Zafer Iqbal & Others (Junior counsel. DfES fraud concerning the much criticised Individual Learning Accounts scheme run by Capita which collapsed following wide spread abuse.  Involved significant disclosure issues arising out of the role of the DfES, the legal advice they received and the findings of a House of Commons Committee into the failures of the ILA scheme)

R v David Barfoot & Others (Junior counsel. Customs and Excise prosecution involving large scale VAT fraud at London City Bond warehouse.  One of the initial cases that brought to light Customs using participating informants in the operation of LCB. Case halted after lengthy abuse of process and disclosure arguments)

R v Moses Olanrewaju & Others (Junior counsel. Identity factory supplying various false documents and forging credit cards using sophisticated devices and software. Value £10m)

MURDER & ATTEMPTED MURDER
R v Andrew Thomas (Oxford graduate and former Deutsche Bank employee charged with attempted murder having repeatedly stabbed his childhood sweetheart on Clapham Common after she refused to resume their ten year relationship.  Involved expert evidence examining obsessive personality disorder)

R v Jason Asante (Arson with intent to endanger life as part of ongoing feud following two houses being set fire to, one of which was occupied by a young family.  Involved expert evidence on transference of DNA (burnt match found at scene) and cell site analysis, and legal argument on public interest immunity regarding a possible informant who arguably should also have been in the dock)

R v Brian Donnelly & Others (Junior counsel. Murder case where the defendants were alleged to have kicked the deceased to death with steel toe-capped boots. Involved expert evidence of blood distribution on clothing)

R v Ferreira (Junior counsel. One punch manslaughter following office Christmas celebration)

R v Jay Poxon & Others (Junior counsel. Multi-handed robbery and murder case where defendants had robbed the deceased of cannabis and used victim's air rifle to shoot him)

R v Charlie Doherty (Junior counsel. Murder case where defendant had used his car to run his nephew over twice.  Unusual in that defences of accident, diminished responsibility and provocation were run simultaneously.)

R v Donovan Christie & Others (Junior counsel. Multi-handed murder trial where deceased was stabbed following a dispute over a mobile phone)

R v Stefan Williams & Others (Junior council. Murder re-trial five years after original conviction)

R v James Saunders (Murder – stabbing)

SEXUAL OFFENCES
R v John Hope (Historic child abuse of family members and neighbours, and other sexual offences against adult relations)

R v Adama Traore (Chef at The Ivy accused of attempted rape and sexual assault having met a girl at a club, taken her home and attacked her)

R v Michael Crosby (Junior counsel. Serial sexual abuse on young boys)

R v Abad Siddique (High profile Derby case concerning Operation Retriever, dubbed by the media as 'Pakistani Child Groomers')

OTHER
R v S (Junior counsel. Conspiracy to convert firearms)
R v Nigel Beevers (Junior counsel. 23 armed robberies of off-licences and convenience stores across 4 counties. Involved extensive cell site analysis)
R v Ryan Kavanagh (Junior counsel. Kidnap and torture)
R v David Royston (£2.7m confiscation proceedings, benefit figure reduced to £102,500)
R v Steve Davis (Junior Counsel. Large scale duty evasion on cigarettes and alcohol)
R v Dhir (Appeal against conviction in kidnapping and assault case)
R v Michael Hulme 'Junior Counsel - Conspiracy to Rob concerning 20 armed robberies.  Involved evidence from supergrass'
R v Ian Selby 'Confiscation proceedings arising out of Cheney's pension fraud.